Power Semiconductors presents an overview of various classes of power semiconductors.

Features:

• Fills the gap between literature that covers power semiconductor devices and their physics and books that deal with the applications of power semiconductors
• Delineate the relatively detailed physical concepts required to understand the function and behavior of power semiconductors
• Introduces the fundamentals of power semiconductor physics

Contents

Fundamentals of Semiconductor Physics

• Fundamentals
• Charge Transport
• Carrier Injection
• Generation and Recombination of Charge Carriers
• The Continuity Equation
• The Poisson Equation
• High Field Effects

The P-N Junction

• The Built-in Voltage of a p-n Junction
• The Depletion Region (Space-Charge Region)
• The Current/Voltage Characteristics of the p-n junction
• The Emitter Efficiency
• The Real p-n Junction

The Pin-Diode

• Conducting state of the pin-diode
• The Dynamic Behavior of the pin-Diode
• The Design of modern pin-Diodes

The Bipolar Transistor

• The Structure of the Bipolar Transistor
• The Current Amplification of the BJT
• Current (Injection-) breakdown of the Bipolar Transistor
• Voltage drop in the On-state
• Base push-out ("Kirk"-Effect)
• Second Breakdown

The Thyristor

• Function of the thyristor
• The trigger condition
• Static current-voltage characteristics
• Transistor operation (stable forward blocking and metastable)
• Latched State of the thyristor
• The Thyristor in the Reverse Blocking Mode
• Turn-on behavior
• Turn-off Behavior

The GTO and GCT 163

• The GTO
• The GCT (Gate Commutated Thyristor)

The Power Mosfet

• How the MOSFET functions
• The Structure of the Power MOSFET
• The Switching Behavior of the power MOSFET
• Short-circuit Behavior
• The Anti-parallel Diode

The IGBT 233

• Construction and Functional Description of the IGBT
• The Current/Voltage Characteristics of the IGBT
• The Switching Behavior of the IGBT
• Ruggedness of the IGBT
• Methods to Improve the IGBT Technology Curve Charge Transport
• Carrier Injection
• Generation and Recombination of Charge Carriers
• The Continuity Equation
• The Poisson Equation
• High Field Effects

The P-N Junction

• The Built-in Voltage of a p-n Junction
• The Depletion Region (Space-Charge Region)
• The Current/Voltage Characteristics of the p-n junction
• The Emitter Efficiency
• The Real p-n Junction

The Pin-Diode

• Conducting state of the pin-diode
• The Dynamic Behavior of the pin-Diode
• The Design of modern pin-Diodes

The Bipolar Transistor

• The Structure of the Bipolar Transistor
• The Current Amplification of the BJT
• Current (Injection-) breakdown of the Bipolar Transistor
• Voltage drop in the On-state
• Base push-out ("Kirk"-Effect)
• Second Breakdown

The Thyristor

• Function of the thyristor
• The trigger condition
• Static current-voltage characteristics
• Transistor operation (stable forward blocking and metastable)
• Latched State of the thyristor
• The Thyristor in the Reverse Blocking Mode
• Turn-on behavior
• Turn-off Behavior

The GTO and GCT 163

• The GTO
• The GCT (Gate Commutated Thyristor)

The Power Mosfet

• How the MOSFET functions
• The Structure of the Power MOSFET
• The Switching Behavior of the power MOSFET
• Short-circuit Behavior
• The Anti-parallel Diode

The IGBT 233

• Construction and Functional Description of the IGBT
• The Current/Voltage Characteristics of the IGBT
• The Switching Behavior of the IGBT
• Ruggedness of the IGBT
• Methods to Improve the IGBT Technology Curve

Index

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